Review ANV Knives A400 HT

  

-  A fixed-blade in folding knife format

Big, light and bold are three words that well describe this folding knife from Czech ANV Knives. The latter is largely because it is completely black. Otherwise, the design is fairly clean, without excessive embellishments, although a few details are hidden here and there.

The A400 is a solid knife primarily aimed at outdoor life in all its forms.

ANV Knives A400 HT

ANV Knives has always divided its knives into different categories: knives aimed primarily at military use, other fixed blade knives and folding knives. Among the military knives is the model M200 with the suffix HT, which simply stands for "Hard Task". It is a sturdy knife with a simple straight blade and a large and, as usual with ANV, well-shaped handle. Obviously made for what the name suggests, that is, heavier tasks.

This knife is based on that model. The same basic idea, but in a folding format. Maybe not quite as durable, but in return significantly lighter and easier to carry. An excellent complement on paper, I thought. Now all that remained was to see if theory and practice could be reconciled.

This knife exudes competence

Short version: ANV Knives A400, A knife for outdoor activities. Well-balanced and made of premium materials, it is ready to assist you in all kinds of situations.

Blade

You've heard me say it before, and I'll say it again: my mantra is that unless there's a specific purpose for your blade, keep it clean and simple. That certainly applies in this case. When it comes to this knife, it's not just about looks; it's also about function.

The shape is a drop point, even though the back slopes so slightly that the blade can almost be considered straight. The length is 105 mm, which is matched by a height of 29 mm. The blade thickness is 3 mm. The latter deserves a comment. Here, ANV has taken note of what is really needed in a folding knife intended for all types of work and thus did not choose a blade of four or five millimetres. This is a knife that cuts well, not a crowbar. It is a trap that many manufacturers otherwise fall into.

The sabre grind is 21 mm wide and comes down to as little as 0.3 mm behind the edge. Again, a good decision that provides competent geometry.

The blade is blackened with DLC, which protects the blade, which may be needed as the material is basically a tool steel. There is some text on the blade, but it is discreet. On the presentation side, you will find ANV's stylised logo, and on the opposite side, you can read the model designation, country of manufacture and steel type along with the text "fire steel". I will come back to that later.

A blade of over 100 mm in Sleipner steel with a DLC finish might be a bit overkill for slicing strawberries with.

The steel used is a bit exotic in the knife world, but of very high quality. It is Swedish Uddeholm's Sleipner, which has been hardened to 60HRC. Which is slightly harder than its fixed-bladed cousin. A good example of how small adjustments have been made to achieve a high-quality folding knife. In this case, edge holding is prioritised over being somewhat tougher, which can be a more important feature of a fixed-bladed knife that may be used to chop and split wood, for example.

The factory edge was very well executed, smooth, symmetrical and sharp. Something that pleased me was the aforementioned fact that the blade is thin behind the edge.

The blade is made of Sleipner steel. At the ricasso, there is a recess intended for use with fire steel. A detail that may be needed since the blade spine is rounded.

This, combined with the relatively high flat grind, means that this knife cuts just as well as you could wish for. There is sometimes a tendency among modern knife manufacturers to exaggerate when it comes to making knives adapted for hard work, whatever that actually is.

For some, it may be about gutting and processing an animal, for others, building a campsite and making a fire. For me, it is clear that a blade intended for heavier work must be able to handle everything from meat and gutting fish to cutting wood, both dry and fresh, but also dealing with materials such as twine and rope, cardboard, cable ties, nylon straps, tape of all thicknesses and so on. That is, everything from what nature provides to what we humans litter it with. 

The A400 handles all of that excellently. If you want to do detailed work, you sneak as close to the edge as you can, perhaps with a thumb on the exceptionally well-executed grooves found on the otherwise rounded blade spine. They provide a solid grip. That applies to everything else on this knife. There is no risk of slipping.

The DLC coating is very durable.

Otherwise, there is a good piece of straight edge to work with, and it bites excellently into wood. Furthermore, there is a nice belly that is good for long sweeping cuts.

The blade then ends with a competent tip that is surprisingly thin for a knife in this class. Nothing to pry with but all the better to penetrate with.

Overall, this is a blade that, with a different grind, read full scandi, could sit on any classic Scandinavian hunting and outdoor knife. Those are big words in my book!

Handle

When it comes to "heavy duty" in combination with knives, it's not the blade that I think of first, but the handle. A sharp blade does its job if used correctly; not all handles do. It must be designed so that it is comfortable enough to use for a long time when needed. Something I learned when I worked as a butcher in my younger days. The knives used in the meat industry have simple blades but more advanced handles.

The handle is spacious and provides an extremely secure grip.

This also applies to the ANV A400. However, the basic materials are only two. First, a frame that is only advanced in that it is heavily milled. This, of course, contributes to making the knife lighter. But its main task is to, in addition to reinforcing the sides, house the lock.

The sides are made of strong G10. A material so stiff, especially in this thickness, that it actually doesn't need a frame. Here, it is only used to have both suspenders and a belt. 

As you can see, the handle is quite shaped to be found on a folding knife. In the open back, you can see a detail that makes the knife look a little more civilian, red anodised spacers

A lot of effort has been put into designing the knife, and that is also visible in the handle. The sides are heavily sculpted, which means that they are both bevelled and widened in the middle. Then there is a very deep recess for the index finger, and the handle swells at the back. All of this makes the knife fit perfectly in your hand. It is almost impossible to slip. Especially since the grooves that make up the pattern provide extremely good grip, think coarse sandpaper or perhaps even better, a rasp.

The A400 is very well balanced, which makes the knife feel lively in the hand. It is also very easy to find a good grip, no matter how you choose to hold the knife.

At the same time, this is an extremely competent handle. All grips work equally well, whether you prefer a hammer grip, sabre grip or spin the knife to a reverse grip. The knife is also not excessively wide at the front, which means that it is possible to hold the knife in a pinch grip if necessary.

In other words, it is suitable for everything from detailed work to tougher tasks. This becomes even clearer when it is a large handle made to be used even with gloves on. A necessary evil sometimes. Either for the sake of the cold or to save your hands. In any case, it also works great with the A400.

The first thing that strikes you when you grab this knife is how light it feels for its size. The second is how well-balanced it is. The centre of gravity is found exactly where it should be, that is, in the middle of the indentation for the index finger. This results in a knife that, despite its large external dimensions, feels lively and quick to work with.

 

Opening and Lock

On paper and in appearance, the A400 is a flipper knife. That is, it is preferably opened with the flipper tab that sticks up on the back. It is also equipped with a small lumi-dot insert. A detail that usually appears on all ANV folding knives.

In addition, this knife can, of course, be opened with two hands. But it is also possible to use the lock, as all variants of the crossbar lock can be used for opening the knife by pulling back the locking bolt, whereupon the blade is released and can swing freely.

Then there are a couple of probably involuntary opening methods. One is to simply place your thumb against the blade and gently open the knife as if it had a thumb stud or a blade hole. Thanks to ball bearings and a light detent, it works great. But the fact is that the resistance is so light that it is also possible to open the blade with a flick of the wrist. 

The flipper is not the most efficient I've come across, so it's lucky there are more ways to open the knife.

Now, the resistance is not so weak that there is any risk of the blade opening involuntarily, but as I said, the resistance can be overcome. This is because when this type of lock is used, it is the resistance that holds the blade in place when the knife is folded and not a detent ball as is usually the case.

As for the speed of the blade, it is not as impressive as the performance when cutting despite the ball bearings. It is certainly possible to use both downward pressure and backward pull to get the blade out using the flipper, but neither of these is particularly fast, and it is possible to fail. The reason is a combination of a heavy blade and the geometry and placement of the tab, which is not optimal for the purpose.

This means that I prefer to use my thumb against the blade side or the lock. But I probably would have done that anyway. The advantage is that there are many ways to open the knife.

ANV calls their interpretation of the now classic Axis lock, Benchmade's patent having expired, the A-lock. This means that the lock belongs to a category that works by squeezing the blade base between a transverse lock bolt and a stop bolt. Simple but effective, and it works well as long as the more or less infamous "omega springs" that hold the bolt in place don't go bust. Some brands have had problems with them breaking over time. However, it's not something I've ever had a problem with and certainly not on this knife either. But it's worth keeping in mind.

To Carry

Everything positive about ergonomics comes back to haunt the knife under this heading. It's hard to have your cake and eat it. More specifically, a handle that measures over fourteen centimetres in length is 17 mm thick and around 30 mm high, translates to a lot of volume.

The clip is of the wire type and very stiff. The advantage is that it does not move sideways; the disadvantage is that this, coupled with the small ramp, makes the knife very difficult to put in a pocket.

The weight, however, is nothing to be scared of as the A400 weighs 137 grams. But the length is noticeable when the knife is put in a pocket. Although it is still nothing against the pattern in the handle, it is enough to give even experienced knife carriers a scare.

Well, that much of the pocket is needed for this knife as it measures over fourteen centimetres when folded.

Especially when combined with a fairly small clip. The clip has the big advantage that it is not in the way at all when holding the knife because the long handle means that the back end ends up outside your grip. Otherwise, that is a common problem with "deep ride" clips. Another advantage is that the wire clip has good tension and thus does not move sideways unnecessarily. 

But that feature and the discreet format with relatively little space underneath make it almost impossible to get this knife into a pocket without using two hands. Especially since the ramp is too small for even fairly normal fabric thicknesses. I'm not talking about winter clothes, but regular jeans and slightly thicker work pants.

Here, a slightly larger clip would have been needed, or at least one with a higher ramp and preferably combined with a smoother surface underneath to make the knife easier to both get into and out of a pocket.

As it is, I usually carry this knife in an outer compartment of a bag or backpack.

To Conclude

It's always nice when a product lives up to the descriptions and expectations they raise. It's not uncommon for marketing departments to get their hands on a product and let their imagination run wild. In the knife world, it's a common problem, and as a consumer, you have to try to read between the lines.

Then it's liberating to see a knife that actually lives up to the advertising texts. On the website, ANV Knives writes that "We've captured the unique character of the M200 HARDTASK knife in a robust folding EDC model", and I think they have.

But wait, the description also says "This reliable knife is designed to be carried as an everyday tool (EDC)". That's where my thesis broke. I certainly don't agree with that statement!

The A400HT has been used as an EDC knife, but in many contexts, a 25 cm soot black folding knife is a bit much, so it is complemented by a smaller A200.

Because what we have here is a knife that, first of all, looks like a military knife, large and 99 per cent completely black. In an office environment, someone would probably wonder if you were preparing for a third world war if you pulled it out to cut fruit. So it is definitely too big in general for that purpose, but as I described earlier, the A400 is not particularly easy to carry for several reasons. After all, an EDC knife spends most of its time in your pocket, so that aspect is particularly important in an EDC role.

Then several of the fine details are completely wasted in that role. What exactly do you need a special fire steel notch for in everyday use? And a handle of this calibre is quite wasted if you are going to open a package, cut a piece of tape or cut a string.

The A400 is an excellent folding outdoor knife

What we have here is instead an excellent knife for both professional use, such as military personnel and the like and for mixed outdoor activities. An excellent handle and a robust blade that still cuts really well go a long way. The materials used are also of high quality. In addition, ANV has dared to trust the quality steel used and given the blade good geometry. It is impressive, especially considering what is usually the case when knife manufacturers add "hard"-something to the description.

Then there are small luxurious details that reappear here and there. One is the nicely rounded blade spine, and another is the bright red spacers found in the handle spine. But otherwise, the A400 makes me think more of forests and mountains than city life.

An early autumn morning on a camping trip, that's where the ANV Knives A400 HT performs best in my opinion.

So with that said, the ANV Knives A400 is an excellent folding knife for those who want to replace a smaller fixed blade knife or complement a larger one. It is light and well-balanced, made of well-chosen materials, and the design is well thought out for the purpose. Just don't be fooled by "EDC" unless it includes that you work in a branch that includes a lot of solo work out in the forest. 

ANV Knives

Specifications:

Length Overall: 248 mm

Length Folded: 142 mm

Weight: 136 g (weighed by me, stated 137g)

Blade Length: 105 mm

Blade Thickness: 3 mm

Blade Steel: Sleipner with a DLC coating, HRC60

Handle Material: G10

Lock: A-lock

Produced by: ANV Knives, made in the Czech Republic

/ J - thinking about camping nights

#knivesandbikes #aliaspostmortem #knivigtvarre 

New Knife - ANV M25

The new year must be inaugurated with a new knife. And not just any knife, but a new product from Czech ANV Knives. Something that doesn't happen too often. By that, I mean that this is not one of the fast-moving models that otherwise dominate parts of the market. Instead, this is a knife that has been released after a substantial development period.

Incidentally, it is a collaboration with the 25th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment from Strakonice. It is also from them that the name originates.

From Acta non verba Knives comes this military knife

You can immediately tell when you hold this knife that it is very well made and that a lot of thought has gone into the design. The balance is superb and the M25 just feels very natural to hold and every grip you can think of works, possibly except "ice pick grip" but there's a reason for that.

That's how it is with the whole knife, there are reasons for most of it, which concretely means that it hides small subtleties here and there despite its seemingly simple exterior.

ANV M25

The materials are also of the highest quality. The handle is made of a couple of solid pieces of Micarta that have been milled and provided with a pattern that gives a very good traction. They are then screwed into place with a pair of sturdy stainless steel screws.

Swedish steel in the form of Sleipner is found in the blade. It is 3.5mm thick in this case. It is coated with a layer of DLC that both protects against corrosion and reduces reflections. It is, after all, a genuine military knife. It is also noticeable in the format. This knife is meant to be carried. The length is a modest twenty-four centimeters, of which the blade measures eleven centimeters. The weight is more than decent at 145 grams.

In addition, the case is made of Kydex and equipped with Molle-compatible fasteners. That is, they fit combat harnesses. But this means that the knife is flexible and can be carried any way you like on backpacks, belts, etc.

I can say that I immediately fell for this knife. It exudes competence and is of a format that I can imagine wearing whether I'm hiking or just spending time outdoors. 

ANV

/ J - starts the new year with fireworks

#knivesandbikes #knivigtvarre

Review ANV Knives A200

  

-  the most advanced folding knife from the Czech Republic so far

my first acquaintance with folding knives from Czech ANV Knives was a model called Z200. Therefore, it is important to keep your tongue in your mouth and your fingers in check when ordering a new knife because this one has a similar name. As the headline suggests, it's called the A200. A knife that, incidentally, is probably the most technically advanced folding knife they have produced. I intend to go through what that means here.

In addition to that, the A200 is a knife that does not hurt to look at and the combination of black with red details is quite striking. The question is, is the function as bold as the look?

ANV Knives A200

The impression I got is that this is a knife that sells well for Acta non verba Knives as the full name reads. Not least considering that these days they also released a version called A100 where the difference is that the knife has a simpler handle material in the form of GRN. It, in turn, can be obtained in several different versions. A procedure that is otherwise common with ANV's knives. Partly, in that case, you can choose which steel you prefer Magnacut or Elmax, and also between a couple of different colors.

The A200 has a different material in both the handle and the blade and can only be had in black. A bit like what was said about the T-Ford at the beginning "you can get it in any color you want, as long as it is black". Now that wasn't quite true but still. 

A200, a technically advanced knife from the Czech Republic

Twitter version: A200 from ANV Knives, a technically advanced lightweight with super steel and superb balance. A very good EDC knife in other words.

Blade

Black, that's the first impression you get of the blade of the A200. The color comes from the DLC coating. The Diamond Like Carbon it stands for is one of the most durable surface treatments available. It protects the blade extremely well and it also applies in this case. It is scratch resistant and keeps all corrosion at bay. 

The blade given this treatment is a drop point blade that is 88mm long and 24mm high. The thickness of the blade is a modest 3 mm. The blade shape is fairly straightforward but is characterized by being somewhat more pointed than, for example, the Z200. This is accomplished by the actual "drop", the sloping back starting fairly close to the handle. 

A visual element that recurs on several models and is also found here is what they call an "ANV Swedge" which refers to the partial false edge that the blade is provided with. The typical thing about it is that it ends before the tip, which leaves more material there, which theoretically gives you a stronger tip.

In addition to being black, the blade is marked with the ANV logo on one side and the country of manufacture and steel type on the other. Then a neat detail is added as the spine of the blade is rounded before the swedge takes over and there you will also find the brand name. 

The blade is a slim drop point with a typical ANV partial swedge

The material is interesting as ANV works a lot with Swedish steel. In addition to the Elmax mentioned above, they also use Sleipner as in this knife. It is also reportedly hardened to 60HRC. A hardness that is suitable for this steel and gives an edge that stays sharp for a very long time. The fact that it belongs to the so-called "super steels" means that, despite the edge-holding capability, it is relatively impact-resistant and, in addition, very resistant to corrosion. I have also not noticed any tendency for chips to come out of the edge when I carve in dry wood, even though the steel is hard. 

The fine Sleipner steel has been given a black DLC finish

Otherwise, this is a very good all-around blade for EDC use. Maybe a little thick behind the edge (0,5-0,6 mm), but that's something I think I'll cover in every knife review. Especially if, as here, you have exceptionally fine steel, you can dare to trust it. That, combined with the fact that the blade is not extremely wide, means that it is not an extreme "slicer", think chef's knife. That is, there are knives that are better at that. 

But it's not something I want to dwell on as the knife is sharp and is very competent. The tip is both pointed and durable. The blade shape also means that there is a piece of a straight edge to work with and also a belly to use against flat surfaces. For those who wonder why I'm fussing about it, you can try, for example, cutting cardboard that stands up and trying to finish that cut with a Wharncliffe blade. A belly also allows you to perform a more sweeping cut when needed.

So overall this is a good blade for exactly what the knife is meant to be, an everyday knife. Sticking the blade in a PET bottle to create an improvised funnel or shredding some fabric to use for rags to clean the drivetrain of an MTB is easy. The A200 isn't the ultimate apple-cutting knife, but as I said, I don't hold that against it. Especially not when it cuts well in cardboard and is even better on materials such as zip ties and packing straps in nylon and the like. Materials that do not require such deep cuts.

Handle

If the blade was fairly straightforward and simple in its design, albeit in exclusive steel, the opposite can be said about the rest of the knife, it is more complicated but made of simpler materials. Firstly, it is a technically advanced handle we are dealing with. The shape is certainly not much to say about, fairly straight with a sloping depression for the index finger that ends in a finger guard. The appearance is quite angular with flat sides, but the proportions are well-balanced and the back has been curved from front to back.

The length is 122 mm and the thickness is 12.5 mm.

The G10 sides hide several technical finesses

The material used is G10 as opposed to the simpler GRN (fiber-reinforced plastic) found in the aforementioned model A100. The G10 sides are a bit special as ANV chose to make parts of the sides almost polished or at least very smooth but kept a rough surface that extends along the handle in a narrow ridge. An excellent solution as it provides a better traction without turning the entire knife into a roll of sandpaper. It's also not a solution I've come across before. 

The A200 consists of an unusually large number of parts. Photo: ANV Knives

The knife can be disassembled but a warning is issued. It consists of many parts and screws as well as two springs. As I said, it is a special handle. Three T6-size screws hold the handle together along with the adjustable pivot screw. Then the handle is open in the back, where you find two bright red spacers that, together with the thumb stud, act as an accent color. The rear one also acts as a lanyard attachment for those who want to use one. To make this possible, the screw that holds the clip in place has been given a large but very flat head found on the inside of the handle side.

The knife is extremely light, which is achieved, among other things, through the open back of the handle

What makes the knife advanced is a combination of the lock construction and the fact that, like a Benchmade* with the same type of lock, the knife only has a partial frame. The actual strength of the handle comes instead from the material itself. In order to reduce the total weight of the knife, however, these have been lightened internally. Even so, the sides are so stiff that you can only make them flex with difficulty. So the criticism directed at e.g. BM Bugout for that can be skipped here.

The combination of a slightly rough surface and softer overall works well, as does the shape of the handle

The A200 offers no surprises when working with the knife. Like all very airy lightweight constructions that are both thin and open in the back, it does not offer extraordinary ergonomics. But for what it is, it works well. Especially as they thought about even small details such as placing the clip off-set, a bit lower on the handle, which means that it does not create any hotspots.

The length is enough to accommodate most hands and it's not so thick that those with smaller glove sizes experience any problems either. The seemingly simple shape also means that you can choose your favorite grip without any problems and it is also easy to switch between different grips.

Opening and Lock

The opening method of this knife is hardly a secret. Namely, it is difficult to avoid the oversized thumb which, together with the previously mentioned spacers in the back, forms a clearly brilliant splash of color. Note that I wrote, "the stud" in the definite singular. It has no companion but is single-sided. However, it can be removed and shifted to the other side if desired. 

The design of the thumb stud is unique to ANV

The thumb stud has been given a very special design. It is larger and wider than most and instead of resembling a barrel, it resembles a volcanic crater. That it is not completely common is evident from the fact that they have even chosen to call it the "ANV button". Inside it is one of ANV's signatures. In all their folding knives, a small recessed luminescent lumidot dot is found.

Certainly, the stud may look a little special in terms of appearance, but the function is excellent. The shape makes it softer on the thumb than many others because the contact area is larger.** It also means that there are two edges for the thumb to attach to which gives a good grip. The movement also feels excellent in that the knob is found where you expect when you stretch your thumb in that direction and that the arc itself when opening the knife is good.

Since the lock is of the type it is, you can of course also just release the lock bolt and thus release the blade. Then the knife can both be opened and closed with a small twist of the wrist. It can be said that the maneuver works really well.

Then the action was not the absolute smoothest when the knife was new. ANV is one of the few manufacturers that use nylon bushings. Although theirs are special as they are double and equipped with lubrication holes. But that means this knife needed to be worn in. It gets softer and smoother to open as time goes on, but it will never be as silky smooth as a knife on ball bearings. Now I can think that is a good thing in and of itself. I've never been a big fan of "finger guillotines".

The lock is of the type based on a transverse bolt and is supported by a blade stop

As I wrote in the presentation of this knife, A-Lock is a derivative of an Axis lock. A latch with a transverse bolt which is spring-loaded and thus in the locked position clamps the top of the blade base. Releasing the lock is done by pulling the bolt backward. That makes it very easy to manage. Especially as this is a very well-made variant. In passing, it can be mentioned that the reason why it appears in so many variants is that Benchmade's patent has expired.

ANV's interpretation is really good. One of the better actually. In addition to the lock keeping the blade in place as it should be, it is easy to release. The resistance in the springs is well-balanced and the knobs are not as sharp as they can sometimes be on knives with this type of lock. Add to that the bolt doesn't want to end up crooked which can sometimes be the case even on the original. 

To Carry

One of the many virtues of this knife is how pleasant it is to carry. The fact that the knife is light and well-balanced also means that it disappears in the pocket and sits there comfortably without dangling around. Especially as the previously described solution was chosen with a G10 surface that is only partially coarse. However, the surface where the clip meets the side of the handle is smooth, which is a big plus.

Slim, light, not too rough sides and with a deep ride clip makes the A200 very easy to carry

There are three more factors that make the A200 easy to carry. The streamlined shape where, for example, the slightly protruding back of the blade has been rounded makes a strong contribution. But above all, it is the weight. When you start from the G10, which is also equipped with pockets on the inside, chosen to have an open back and a very small frame, a wire clip, and a thin blade, the result can only be one, a light knife! The A200 weighs in at flyweight at 81 grams. It must be put in relation to almost nine centimeters of blade length!

This version of a wire clip is really good

The third factor is found on the outside. The clip is simply damn good. It doesn't get more discreet than a blackened, deep ride wire clip. What makes it good, however, is that it has been made stiffer than the version I previously tested on the Z200. That version was somewhat flimsy, which allowed it to wander sideways. This clip does not. The ramp is also good, the space underneath is decent and the spring is perfect. The space under the clip itself can mostly be used for fabric as the clip attaches in an ingenious way to the back end of the handle instead of the side. Unfortunately, there are some screw heads sticking up there and they steal some of the space. However, since they are rounded, I haven't experienced them causing problems.

Then the clip is not felt in the hand when working with the knife, which I appreciate. But there it is more the length of the handle that saves the situation than the shape of the clip. Rear ends of this kind can cause "hotspots", and thus rub a little against the hand.

To Conclude

Initially, I wrote that this was probably the most technically advanced knife ANV produced. I could possibly have used the word "exclusive" as well. That claim is based on a number of details. Certainly, the handle material is neither expensive nor extreme in any way as G10 is quite common even in simpler knives. But the way in which it has been used and worked in this case is more unique in that the sides have no frame, are weight relieved, and have both a coarse and a smooth part on the outside. In other words, there is a lot of work and machining time put into the knife.

The blade steel, on the other hand, is exclusive and among the best that can be used in a folding knife, and the same can be said about the blade finish. ANV has not skimped in the slightest. Sleipner blackened with DLC is top-notch. 

The A200 is a well-composed knife with fine materials where they do the most good

But the technical details do not stop at the processing of the handle, blade, and blade finish, but extend further via the thumb stud with its luminescent point and unusual design to the lock construction. Here we find an "axis derivative" or a cross bolt lock that in many cases, if not surpasses, at least matches the original. ANV's version is named A-Lock and has proven to be excellent. 

The clip is also special as it is a wire clip, which in itself is not unusual, and is attached to the back end of the knife. The latter, and especially in this form, is considerably rarer. But together with how the thumb stud is reversible and the design of the lock, it makes the knife completely ambidextrous.

Then, like almost all other modern folding knives, the A200 could be thinner behind the edge. But I will achieve that when it is time to re-sharpen it. The Sleipner steel can handle it.

Examples of knives found in the same niche as the A200 are the Benchmade Bugout and the SOG XR LTE

But what distinguishes the A200 the most in my eyes is actually not all the technical stuff but the combination of a very light and damn well-balanced knife. That makes it a joy to carry but above all to use.

This knife is a clear competitor to knives like the Benchmade Bugout and SOG XR LTE. The trio share characteristics such as lock type as well as being lightweights. However, the A200 has its own design language and several distinctive details that make it unique. Then I mainly think of the thumb stud, the excellent clip, and the steel choice.

The ANV A200 is a really good EDC knife for those who want a light and well-balanced knife

In short, this means that the ANV A200 is an excellent knife for those looking for an EDC knife with those characteristics. In addition, you get a knife that not everyone else has and which is nice to look at. If that sounds like something for you, it will cost you around 155€ or 140$.***

Specification:

Length Overall: 210 mm

Length Folded: 122mm

Weight: 81 g

Blade Length: 88 mm

Blade Thickness: 3 mm

Blade Steel: Sleipner

Handle: G10

Lock: A-Lock

Produced by: ANV, made in the Czech Republic

/ J

* It is built in a way that reminds of a Benchmade Bugout but with better materials.

** Such as the nightmare found on the famous CRK Sebenza.

*** At publication €155 from Knives and Tools or 140$ from Blade HQ. 

#knivesandbikes #aliaspostmortem #knivigtvarre 

New Knife - ANV A200

Those of you who also follow me on Instagram have already seen this knife as it has appeared there . The model comes as both the pictures and the title say from Czech Acta non verba Knives or ANV as it is abbreviated. For those who don't know, it means "deeds not words" by the way.

The model is their latest and perhaps most advanced folding knife so far and it has been named the A200.

ANV Knives A200

In fact, the model has already spawned so there is also an A100 at the time of writing. The difference is found in the handle materials. FRN in the simpler one hundred model and G10 in this case. The G10 material is handled quite interestingly in this knife as it is very rough in parts and quite smooth in others. An interesting way to solve the detail with better traction.

The handle is also interesting because it has no supporting frame but only a partial one like some knives from Benchmade. This is also where the inspiration for ANV's "A-Lock" comes from. It is simply an Axis derivative but a very good one. Furthermore, the frame is lightened despite the lack of a full frame. This results in a very light and well-balanced knife.

Then other technical details are found such as ANV's interpretation of a wire clip which has also been improved. Something I will go into in a future review. The thumb stud is also special as it is one-sided but removable and incorporates the usual luminescent dot in the middle.

The blade is also advanced with a fine Swedish Sleipner steel which is also provided with a surface treatment of DLC. Overall, it makes for a visually appealing, technically fairly advanced knife that sparks interest.

/ J 

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